


Lullaby

by loves_books



Category: A-Team - All Media Types, The A-Team (2010)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-20
Updated: 2013-11-20
Packaged: 2018-01-02 04:59:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1052797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loves_books/pseuds/loves_books
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a difficult mission, Face is surprised to see a sweeter and more gentle side to Hannibal, and he finds himself completely charmed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lullaby

Finally, everything had gone quiet upstairs. The screams and thuds had faded to silence, and the sound of crying had softened to sobs and hiccups before, eventually, peace and quiet reigned in their current safe house. Checking the back door was locked, Face turned off the last of the downstairs lights before heading upstairs himself.

Adrenaline was still thundering through his veins after the hellish mission the team had just completed, and Face knew there was absolutely no way he would be getting to sleep any time soon, despite the exhaustion he could feel burning in his muscles. His only consolation was that Hannibal would almost certainly be in the same situation, riding high on the ‘jazz’, especially after some of the spectacular stunts their Colonel had managed to pull off today, including taking on a room full of gun-toting mafia thugs whilst armed with nothing but a hammer.

Oh yeah, Face mused with a smirk, he reckoned Hannibal would be more than up for a little post-mission action of their own, assuming their three little visitors were actually asleep and not just biding their time before freaking out again. Judging by the silence from the first bedroom he reached, ‘asleep’ was sounding increasingly promising.

Light still shone from underneath the closed door but, after cracking it open slowly, Face had to choke back a laugh at the scene that met his eyes. Both mattresses had ended up on the floor. Pillows and blankets were strewn haphazardly around the room. Bedside lamps lay on their sides, casting strange shadows over the walls. And, in the exact middle of the room, in a tangle of arms and legs, lay Murdock with two of their guests, asleep on the floor.

The twins had been terrified by their ordeal, captured and held to ransom by mob bosses, but Murdock and BA had quickly settled them after they had been rescued. Despite BA’s complaints about ‘babysitting’, the four year old boys had found a kindred spirit in the team’s crazy pilot, and apparently they had all worn themselves out. Carefully turning off the lights, smiling, Face backed out of the room and closed the door on the trio.

The next bedroom was BA’s, and Face paused briefly to check on his friend. The faint sounds of a shower running suggested the team’s mechanical genius was finally on his way to bed as well, in preparation for the long drive across state lines tomorrow to deliver their young charges back to their grateful parents. And hopefully to collect a decent paycheck too.

Which only left two to check on. Padding softly down the hall to the nursery – one of the main reasons he had chosen this particular safe house, when they had found out the details of the job – Face felt all his senses painfully alert, the pounding of his heart still too fast. Those last sets of explosions had been close, far too close, for both him and the boss. He had been forced to make a sudden escape through a second storey window, lucky to walk away with only a few bruises and scrapes, and, after scrambling to his feet, had turned in horror to realise that Hannibal hadn’t followed him. 

As Face had been about to charge back into the burning building to rescue his lover, he had been stunned to see Hannibal striding casually out the front door. Backlit by the flickering flames, the colonel had looked like a movie star, all tall, lean muscle and soot-streaked face, gun clutched in one hand and cigar in the other. Sadly there had barely been time to plant a swift kiss on Hannibal’s lips before they had been off and running again, getting everyone to safety and making sure the bad guys were well and truly incapacitated. 

Now was the time to make up for that aborted celebration, and as Face reached the nursery door, he prayed that their youngest guest was actually asleep and that he wouldn’t have to do anything like change a nappy or try to figure out the right temperature for a bottle. So far, he hadn’t had to do any actual babysitting, trying to burn off some of his adrenaline by checking the perimeter and making sure the house was secure for the night. Murdock and BA were both far better with kids than he and Hannibal were, not that he was exactly uncomfortable around them: he could fake it if he had to. But, as a general rule, kids saw right through his cons, and Hannibal was definitely not one to sit and play with children when there were plans to be made.

Already fantasising about exactly what he and Hannibal could get up to tonight in that king-sized bed in the master suite, Face was dismayed to hear sounds coming from the nursery. Surely such a tiny baby should be asleep at this late hour? Pressing his ear to the door gingerly, he felt a frown creep across his face as his overactive mind tried to figure out what he could hear. Was that singing?

The door wasn’t closed all the way and, inching it cautiously open until he could peek around the corner, Face saw the last thing he had expected. Hannibal had his back to the door, dressed only in loose sweatpants and a fitted white vest, barefooted and still showing signs of soot smudges up those long, lean arms. Face took a moment to admire the play of muscles beneath that snug vest, those broad shoulders he loved so very much, Ranger tattoo tight over strong bicep. And yes, Hannibal was definitely singing, softly and almost under his breath.

“Hush little baby, don’t say a word…” He turned ever so slightly, and Face could see the baby cradled against his man’s strong chest, a tiny hand clutching at that vest. “Papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird…” The slight Irish burr in Hannibal’s deep voice made Face’s heart skip a beat, watching as his colonel gently rocked the tiny girl they had rescued, loose pants hanging low on his waist. He leaned sideways into the doorframe, careful not to make a sound, not wanting to interrupt this scene for anything in the world.

There was such a look of calm on Hannibal’s face as he stared down at the child in his arms, a sense of peace that seemed to come over that handsome man as he continued to sing. “And if that mockingbird don’t sing, Papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring…” The baby cooed ever so softly, and Hannibal bounced her a little against his chest, bringing one big hand up to cup her tiny head. Strong hands that only hours ago had been pounding mafia goons were now so steady and sure holding a precious little being, and Face found himself hypnotised by the power and love contained in that simple gesture.

“And if that diamond ring turns brass, Papa’s gonna buy you a looking glass…”

Face felt his heart rate slowing at last, a small smile hovering over his lips as he watched and listened. Hannibal looked so right like this, as at home standing in a pink nursery holding a baby as he was on the battlefield holding a gun, all his legendary focus and attention absorbed by the girl. Grace, Face remembered, her name was Grace.

In another life, maybe. A more peaceful life, a free life. He’d never considered this, and they’d certainly never talked about it. Two soldiers in love had a hard enough time of it; two wanted men on the run had an even harder time. But seeing Hannibal holding that baby, singing softly… Face could suddenly see a life where Hannibal was a Father, with a daughter of his own. 

Hannibal stretched his long, graceful neck down and pressed a soft kiss to Grace’s forehead, moving carefully over to the crib against the wall. “And if that looking glass gets broke, Papa’s gonna buy you a billy goat…” Face let his heavy head fall against the door frame, folding his arms loosely across his chest as his lover gently lowered the now-sleeping baby into her bed for the night, tucking a thin blanket around her before pulling back, still humming softly under his breath.

His own breathing now slow and deep, Face wasn’t surprised when Hannibal turned to him with a smile and shining blue-grey eyes, opening his arms, inviting him in. Of course the colonel had known he was there all along. Stifling a yawn, he tiptoed closer and let his lover fold him into his chest, inhaling that mixture of cigars and gun oil that was uniquely Hannibal, now blended with the unusual addition of baby powder. Ignoring the underlying smell of smoke and explosions from their mission, hearing that strong heartbeat under his ear. 

Hannibal pressed a kiss into his hair and murmured, “And if that billy goat won’t pull, Papa’s gonna buy you a cart and bull…” 

The exhaustion that had been hovering all evening finally hit with a vengeance, and Face felt his body suddenly grow ten times heavier as the last of the adrenaline left him. Eyes closed and head tucked against Hannibal’s warm neck, he let his lover lead him quietly from the room and across the hall into the master suite. Rousing himself a little, he managed to help when Hannibal started to undress him.

Falling back onto the bed as Hannibal knelt to unlace his boots, Face had to ask, “You looked so good with Baby Grace, Boss. Where’d you learn to do that?”

“My mother used to sing me to sleep,” Hannibal whispered, clearly not wanting to break the silence of the house, or to wake the sleeping children. “Works like a charm every time.” He lifted Face’s tired legs onto the bed before stepping away and slipping out of his sweatpants and vest.

“Not just the singing – though that was adorable.” Yawning again, he heard Hannibal chuckle as his lover stretched out beside him, pulling the blankets up and gathering Face back into his arms.

“Looks like it works a charm on jazzed-up Lieutenants as well!” 

“Mmm.” He lazily swatted at his lover’s chest. “No, you looked good with a baby. You’d be a great Father, Hannibal. A real natural…” There was silence again for a moment, and Face felt himself start to doze. Really, how had he ever thought he had the energy for anything more than sleep tonight? 

He felt Hannibal press a kiss to his temple, and let his head sink down onto his lover’s firm chest as the older man tightened his arms around his back. As sleep finally claimed him, he barely registered Hannibal’s final murmured comment. “And you’d be a great little Mother, Templeton. One day, kid. One day…”

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for wave_of_sorrow at ATeam Prompts:
> 
> I remember when I first saw the movie I almost switched it off again right at the beginning when Tuco's men send the dogs in for Hannibal, because there he is assembling his gun and I was convinced he'd just shoot them. Except he didn't. And I'm pretty sure that was the exact moment I fell hopelessly in love (I actually made weird cooing noises at the screen, for fuck's sake).
> 
> So, what I want is Hannibal, who's usually all bamf, being surprisingly gentle and cute and sweet and someone (Face?) being completely charmed by it.


End file.
